15. Blaster Barbeque

Exiles.

The word seems to slow down time. I know Kitaico is sprinting to the seashore, my body bouncing violently as he does—but everything feels like we're moving through molasses, like we can't run quickly enough.

It feels like we'll get fucking caught.

My senses, which just seconds ago were blurred with a post orgasm glow, twist and distort as fear floods my system.

"Leeenuh, we're nearing the shore. I need you to hold your breath!" Kitaico mutters. His feet showing no signs of stopping their pounding through the field of lava stone.

"Okay." I breathe deeply, readying my lungs.

There's a noise behind Kitaico's back. Something big sounds like it's scrambling as it slips on the jagged rocks of the shoreline.

I press the tip of my nose over Kitaico's shoulder, trying to get a better glimpse of who is chasing us right as his feet leave the cliff. He arches his body, gripping me tightly, and dives into the water.

For the briefest of moments, I see the snarling vision of horror that trails closely.

Fangs lengthen as he stretches out a hand tipped with jagged claws. Its tentacles flare wildly around its scarred visage. His pupils are pinpricks and his face conveys nothing but a manic need. The alien is the same as Kitaico, an Andjin, but that's where the similarities stop.

Exiles want nothing more than a mate. Kitaico's words flood my mind as I face this nightmare creature behind me.

He wants me.

The exiled male"s skin, a vibrant shade of crimson, catches my eye before I gulp and hold my breath.

The pursuing creature is getting dangerously close, and I can smell the exiles" breath just before my head submerges in the cool saltwater.

Kitaico"s legs kick as relentless as a machine. With each stroke, his thighs exhibit taut and powerful muscles.

I refuse to open my eyes again, afraid of seeing the monster pursuing us.

Tightening my grasp on Kitaico, I realize the incredible stroke of luck I must have had. Luck that brought this gentle male to my side, instead of that crazed thing chasing us now. If that creature had been the one to discover me, would I have survived?

I suppress the thought, trying to control my panic levels. The burning in my chest won"t subside if I keep imagining the worst possible outcomes. Instead, I press my ear against Kitaico"s chest and listen to the rhythmic thump of his heart.

He'll protect me, he promised.

My chest tightens, fighting against the suffocating sensation of airlessness. The spasms ripple through my torso, causing waves of pain to radiate outward.

"Almost there, hold on!" Kitaico yelps, but the sound is warped and twisted by the water surrounding us.

Suddenly, his feet kick off an object, causing us both to pivot quickly back up. With Kitaico"s forceful push, I'm thrown into the nest, feeling like a rag doll. When my head finally emerges from the water, I gasp for air, and the sound echoes in the silence.

My fingernails claw up on the ledge of the opening before I pull myself onto the cave floor. Adrenaline still teems through my veins. Finally, with one last surge of strength, I pull myself up and onto the cave floor, my body thudding against the ground. Water drips off my naked skin as I shake on the floor. I can't tell if it's the cold or the dread I feel as I turn my head and look at the entrance to the nest.

Time stills as I wait for Kitaico to pop up behind me—but he doesn't.

The water churns and splashes. There's a ruckus occurring beneath its surface.

I can't just lie here. What if Kitaico needs my help?

I push myself up, searching the cave for something to protect myself with. Rope, dried fish, nuite fruit, everything here is so unlethal! I slam my fist against the store shelves in frustration.

That"s when I hear it, the faint clang of metal on metal resonating from the top shelf. Too short to identify the source of the mysterious sound, I decide to climb up. I slip only once, but the rock skins the palm of my hand, and I bite my lip to push down the pain.

After much effort, I finally reach the top shelf and discover the origin of the noises—shining, deadly, and entirely out of place is a blaster gun.

I'm shocked that something as high tech as this even exists in this primitive setting. I've never shot one, but I've seen blasters used before. It shouldn't be harder to figure out than a human gun, should it?

I put the weapon in my hands, and turn it to either side, frantically looking for the safety. When I think I find it, I hold the barrel away from me, clicking the button forward with my eyes closed. It's like I'm afraid that I'll accidentally hit a self-destruct button instead.

But it doesn't blow up, and I can feel it shake as the power surges through the pistol. I clench it in my hands as I jump off the shelf, aiming it toward the opening.

The water still churns and gurgles, and I swear I hear a muffled scream—I can't tell if it's Kitaico or not.

The water changes colors. An inky blackness spins up and spreads until the darkness engulfs the entire opening.

Sweat drips from my wet brow, my heart in my throat, as I'm forced to wait for someone or something to come through that hole.

Finally, with a wet thump, a red and scarred foretentacle slides up through the water.

Kitaico didn't win.

I push down the grief welling in my chest and let the rage that's left take hold. With a strange precision, I point the blaster. My hand will be ready to pull the trigger as soon as I see the bastard's eyes.

Keep breathing, in and out.Don't fuck this up, Lena, you might only get one shot.

It feels like hours, but must only be seconds, as a head surfaces.

It's only after I've half depressed the trigger do I realize that it's Kitaico's face looking back at me. Just before the plasma blast leaves the gun, I rip it to the side, hoping with every part of my being that I'll miss.

Everything is slowing down again. Each beat of my heart takes minutes.

The realization that I'm shooting at him spreads over his face. Kitaico's eyes go wide, and he dives to the side. His tentacles flail through the air as he moves, like a lion's mane in motion. I snap my eyes closed again, letting the blaster drop to the ground with a clank.

I hear the sizzle of flesh when the plasma beam connects with his skin. There's the scent of barbeque and an alien sounding expletive that leaves Kitaico's lips.

I've fucking shot my alien lover.